Sailatiequendar
| language = Common, Elven | subraces = }} On Arvandor long past, before the Olivaen elves were there was the Sailatiequendar -- the Wise Ones. Called the wise ones because they were the ones who were psychically gifted. Although all elves were psychically gifted, these were especially gifted in the art of mind magic. Psychic magic, many elves of the Sailatiequendar were mediums, theurgists, kineticists, mesmerists, and anything else you can pretty much think of. Those who were wise. Those who had the sight. Those who could touch and read objects. When the Eladrin, or the Grey Council, was first formed there was always a wise one advising the council. Or they'd like to say. Official pre-histories have said differently. For a long time, the Sailatiequendar protected and advised the other tribes from evil and other dangers of the Spirit World from primitive times. As the elves progressed and studied other kinds off magic, the Sailtatiequendar would diminish in their roles with the other tribes. The tribe would retreat into their forests and studied psychic magic on their own. Foundation of the Eladrin Soon, it was decided that the elvish tribes would work to unity by forming the Grey Council, hence forth known as the Eladrin. Here, mages from all the known tribes would gather, forming a quorum of twelve and a Lord President to oversee the Council. Although the Grey Council was dominated by the Arcanists, three were a few Theurgists and shamans advising the council. However, two Sailetiequendar took positions among the Eladrin, as their psychic magic knowledge was valuable, and their wise insight was needed. As time went, the Eladrin went from being a good idea to an officious body in any organization. Although the advice was valuable, the two wise elves on the council advising them on psychic magic was feeling that the Eladrin was becoming too much of a oligarchic monopoly on all magic and did not allow competitors or unlicensed teachers. So they tried to reform the Eladrin from within. Unsuccessful, the wise ones withdrew from the council, and refused to sit on the council as part of its body until it reformed. Divulged of the Wise Ones' council, the Eladrin began taking sharper, and sharper turns. One of the Arcanists, a man named Laban, was so incensed to anger about their wishing to change the Eladrin. So Laban sought to destroy the Waters of Psychic Eternity. As he did so, he caused a magnificent explosion! The Wild Ones The explosion caused many effects felt by all the elves. However, it affected the Wise Elves the most. As the Waters of Psychic Eternity was infused with the energies of the Astral Plane, the small lake acted as a place of worship and serenity. All of that energy was released when Laban used his magic to release the astral energies. Freed in an explosion that hurt nothing, the Wise Ones wept for days for the loss of their lake. However, over the course of one hundred years, new children were born to the Wise with different abilities. Called the "Wild Ones", these new children exhibited abilities similar to many psychic spells without the need for incantation. One could read thoughts, another could move objects by simply concentrating, and another could create things seemingly out of nothing. The Wise were stunned. They worked hard to keep the Wild Ones a secret, and some began to develop their abilities. The Wild Ones continued to grow and mature in their abilities, but with no one to help them develop their abilities, they all became what the psychic community would call wilders. As more generations of elves were born, an increasing percentage became wild. Soon, there was no hope, more and more elves were increasingly becoming undisciplined in their talents. The Elves soon cried for help, to anyone, or just Anyone. For decades, the people cried for their children and their children's children; even as they reveled in their undisciplined ways. The Ñolmendur Just when the people were about to lose all hope, he came. An elf man, who claimed to know all the secrets of the mind, would promise to train these "gifted ones" as he called them. Or in elvish, the Annaquendir. Called by the people, the Ñolmendur, this strange elf man started to help the Wild Ones regain their control over their abilities and harness them. He trained their gifts according to each on which discipline they preferred the most. He trained many in the six disciplines. Those who wish to harness their abilities of ESP, he trained in the discipline of Telepathy. These soon became known as telepaths. Those who could harness the ability to move things through space through the manipulation of energy, he trained in the discipline of Psychokinesis. These became known as kinetics or savants. Those who had sight beyond sight -- prescient thoughts, and could see possibilities and other roads, he trained in the discipline of Clairsentience. These, the people dubbed -- Seers. Those that could manipulate their bodies with a thought, he trained in the discipline of Psychometabolism. They became the egoists. Those that could move between locations without traveling through space he would train in the discipline of Psychoportation. These became known as nomads. And as for those who could shape unorganized matter into organization by their minds, he trained in the discipline of Metacreativity. '' Warriors, Rogues, Healers, and more! As time went on, and the roll of years went on, the training methods of training new Wild Ones in their abilities became more of a mystical art. However, it wasn't long that those who were violent displayed psychic ability. So, the Ñolmendur started to train them as well into harnessing their mental abilities into their fighting rage. These became known as ''Psychic Warriors. Others he trained their native abilities to form a shield or armor around them, these became the first Aegeoi ''or''Aegis in singular. Others had healing abilities, but they managed to start a whole discipline around psionic healing. These became the first vitalists. They soon trained those who had a love for life. Thirdly, those who could learn to channel their fear, became experts in controlling fear and channeling fear. These became the first dreads. fourthly, some archers honed their psychic abilities and became marksmen. Finally, those who could find patterns psionically were trained as cryptics. As for those with phenomenal skills at controlling large scale battles were trained as Tacticians. In five generations, the Sailatiequendar became something else. They became known as the Annaquendir, the People who are Gifted, in absolute reality. Soon, the Annaquendir separated themselves into castes against the Ñolmendur's insistence that they would have no inequality amongst them. The Seers became the Caste of the Wise, or the Wisdom Caste. Those who show heroism and nobility in battle -- psychic warriors, aegeoi, marksmen, or no became the Noble Caste. Those who can craft became the Artisan Caste, and those who could only work or fight without distinction became the Worker Caste. And those who could only do the dirty jobs became the Untouchables. The Seven Thunders A great psionic threat came to Arvandor. With the Sailatiequendar leaving the Eladrin, the Eladrin could not know how to deal with this threat. The threat was so great that it threatened all of Arvandor. Sensing that the battle may be too great, called for volunteers to face the threat. The threat was an invading race from the Astral plane that could take over the whole world. Seven gifted came forward. One from each caste stepped forward, including two from the Artisan Caste and two from the Untouchables. These became known as the Seven Thunders, and they followed the Ñolmendur into glory. They were: * Thanyana -- the Noble Psychic Warrior of the Noble Caste. * Daryano -- the Wise, asked to join because they needed his sight beyond sight. * Askelmento -- Untouchable, because of his seeing patterns. * Shardanna -- Untouchable and Wild, the Wilder. * Jacena -- the Metacreative Artisan, who only went to represent Creation. * Tarno, Jacena's brother, asked because of his healing skills. * Farano -- the Strong, because he used his mind to increase his prodigious strength to awesome levels. The Ñolmendur led these seven into battle, where each commanded a regiment of the other elves against the threat. As the Seven Thunders fought, the Annaquendir swear that they heard thunderbolts. After the battle was over, only one came back, Askelmento; but the Thunders were victorious. Askelmento was scarred beyond belief. He hid in the shadows, and knowing that the Annaquendir still was inquitious, he proceeded to form a new government amongst them that would eclipse the magic, and political might of the Eladrin. Calling them the Dulendur -- or the Secret Servants -- he would seek to abolish Inquity amongst his people and the evil Caste System. He called forth two from the Noble Caste and Two from the Caste of the Wise. He then called forth eight others -- from the Artisan Caste, the Worker Caste, and the Untouchable Caste. He then withdrew, allowing the Dulendur take over. He disappeared, and no one knew where he would go. I' menism Perhaps the worst thing to come out of this episode was the formation of a Church by the Wise Ones according to the teachings of the Ñolmendur. Called I'menism by normal elves, or i' men en' Ñolmendur ''to the Annaquendir, it roughly translates as the Way. Soon, the Seven Thunders were deified into Gods, beginning as heroes then revered as gods. The Way became the religion of the people until the people had to flee to Lemurias. By then, it had become monolithic, unassailable, dogmatic, and in decline. "The Way" were called Wayists by the Elves, and central to the beliefs of each Wayist is the attainment of perfection, which for some, is ascension into a higher state of Consciousness to join the "gods." As Wayism progressed, though, many elves would respect the religion, but others would see through it's gilded righteousness to see the rot within. I' menism Creation Myth Before all things, there was chaos. Chaos swirled in the night in the beginning. There was no perfection, no instance of imperfection. For perfection cannot exist without imperfection. But the Muse swam in the midst of Chaos and began to sing. The music from the Muse was the first instance of Order. Order met Chaos, and Chaos and Order gave birth to a clutch of eggs resembling the Sun and the Planets. and this was the first instance of Perfection. And the Muse declared all of this was good. The Second Instance of Perfection came when the Music divided Perfection from Imperfection, Darkness and Light. Then the Muse called the light "Day," And the darkness, the Muse called "night." The Muse then declared that all of this was good. The Third Instance of Perfection was when the Muse created the Stars in the night sky, that shone above Arvandor. The Muse also sang and out of chaos he brought forth the Moon. The Moon shines forth on Arvandor to this day. Then the Muse declared all was good. And this was the third day of Perfection. The Fourth Instance of Perfection came when the Muse declared that the land be divided from the waters, so that people will have a place to live. The Muse then gave forth her song, and the land responded, coming up out of the waters. The land became ''Arvandor and the Seas became Aquallor. This pleased the Muse, and the Muse declared that all was good. And this was the fourth day of Perfection. The Fifth Instance of Perfection came when the Muse declared that all the world be populated with plants. It was as the Muse directed, and plants sprang up everywhere. The Muse then sang, and each plant was ordered to fill every ecological niche it could find. With the land covered in plants giving fresh air, the Muse was pleased and declared all was good. And this was the fifth day of Perfection. The Sixth Instance of Perfection came when the Muse declared that there was no beasts in the land to control the growth of the plants, and no beasts to control the beasts that ate plants. Then the Muse sang her will, and beasts came to live on the land, in the air, and in the sea. From the smallest of creatures that creep and crawl on the face of Arvandor to the greatest of whales that swim in the seas of Aquallor; all were made. The Muse then directed that all the animals to fill every niche and every cranny of the land. Then he divided the animals into those that eat plants, and those that eat flesh. Then then the Muse was pleased with his work, and declared that all was good. And this was the sixth day of Perfection. The Seventh Day of Perfection came when the Muse caused an egg to be placed in a garden. From the egg hatched Man (elf male). The Muse then gave the Man the ability to name all the beasts of the field, giving him the ability to make the world perfect. However, Man was alone, so the Muse called forth another egg, and the egg hatched and out came Woman (elf female). Then the Man became known as Yestedain, and the Woman was named Yestedainme. The two then lived in perfection in the garden. And the Muse declared that all was good, and that was the day we had Perfection. It was on this day that the Muse rested. The Coming of Imperfection For an indeterminate amount of time, the Man and the Woman lived in Perfection. However, long before Man and Woman came to Arvandor, animals arose that took dominion over other animals. It was here that the Awful Din worked his magic and his imperfect noise. The Din made noise and soon over time, the animals liken unto Elfkind became liken unto Elf Creatures over time, and the Din possessed one of the Creatures. He came unto the Woman and taught her all the joys of Sex. The woman became pregnant, starting the transmigration of Elf Souls into Elf Bodies. The Din left the animal he inhabited, and the animal fell into the river. The Din then came before the Grand Muse, and told him all the things he had done with pride and circumstance. The Din brought chaos into the world, and both the Woman and the Man were kicked out of the garden. And thus, Imperfection came into our world, as the Woman gave birth in her sorrow. And thus was the start of Imperfection to the I'menists. And thus, that is why elves are born into a world of imperfection and must strive for perfection. Beliefs I'menists believe that the purpose of life is to attain Perfection. For some sects of I'menism, this perfection is reached when the I'menist ascend to a higher state of consciousness. This ascension is evidenced by the conversion of the physical body into a body of pure energy or light. For other sects, this means living a perfect life. The perfect life is defined by each sect. While some push for the ascetic life of humble contemplation and meditation on the teachings of the Ñolmendur; other sects believe a life led through the other extreme -- hedonism -- one can attain perfection. Still other sects push for a medium between the ascetic and the hedonist. In a world of Suffering, all sects of I'menism teaches that suffering is the cause of Imperfection, and to escape suffering one must attain Perfection. When Elves suffer, it is because of the imperfection of the Elves and the World of Arvandor that they live in. Imperfection is represented by evil, while perfection is represented by good. Both are in balance in the world, for one can't exist without the other. The humble, devoted Wayist strives to attain perfection within himself. I'menism teaches that death is not the end, but reincarnation is possible. Elvish souls reincarnate in order to attain perfection. The closer to perfection you are, the less times you have to incarnate. Once perfection in body and soul is achieved, then reincarnation is no longer needed. Some sects of I'menism teaches that bodies can be resurrected from imperfection to perfection by the powers of the Muses. Others teach that perfection is only reached by attaining the higher state of consciousness (i.e. Ascension.) Perfection to a Wayist To a Wayist, Perfection is a state of pure joy and happiness. According to the Teachings of the Ñolmendur, all elves were meant to be happy. However, each sect has a different definition of this happiness, and perfection. The Holy Scriptures of the Way The Scriptures of I'menism are collected teachings of the Ñolmendur. Called the teachien en' ñolmendur, ''their sacred scriptures collects all the teachings of the Ñolmendur in one volume. The seeric priests teach from the teachings, disseminating the wisdom of the Ñolmendur. Over the years, the seeric priests added to the Scriptures of the Way, in a book of commentary on the teachings. This commentary is much like the commentary on the Qur'an and the Talmud in our world. This commentary expounds on the teachings of the Ñolmendur, in exacting details. Overtime, however, the teachings of the Way has become intermingled with the philosophy of imperfect men, but no one ever sees that. The Purpose of the Dulendur The true purpose of the Dulendur was to counter the religion of I'menism with a religion of irreligion. A contradiction in terms, the Dulendur counters not only the Eladrin, but the typical Wayist. However, the Dulendur has been harassed by the people for their simple teachings that Religion does not replace spirituality and that all men are already perfect and there is no need to strive for perfection. Just to be perfect amongst themselves. The elves respond with violence and alarm, as they seek to burn up the righteous and reject the true teachings of the Ñolmendur. The Sects of the Faith * '''The Ascensionists:' This is the sect primarily concerned with Ascension, ''or the psionic conversion of the physical body into a state of energy. The Ascensionists stress daily meditation to reach this higher state of Consciousness. Non-psionic ascensionists have been known to gain minor psychic abilities by being devoted to the sect and doing the meditations. This sect is a proselyting sect. * '''The Ascetics:' This sect of I'menism stresses that perfection can only be attained by living a life without want or need. The ascetic seeks perfection through the rejection of material things. On the extreme end of Asceticism are those elves that go sky clad (dressed in nothing at all) to show their devotion to their beliefs; and have little material possessions. This sect does not proselytize for new members. * The Strivers: The Strivers believe perfection can only be attained through the experience of intense emotion in intense situations. This is why most Strivers are warriors. The Way of Strife is to attain clarity of emotion through suffering. The Ultimate Experience sought for by many is to experience the state between life and death, or near death. This is because these Wayists believe that only between life and death can true perfection be experienced. This sect is a proselyting sect. * The Hedonists: The Hedonists seek perfection through living the "privileged" life. This means ready access to sex, food, and good shelter. They are the opposite of the Ascetic in some ways, in others not so much. * The Logicians: The Logicians believe that Perfection is attained through logical Order. A logician seeks perfection in the natural world and seeks to mirror this perfection through building and creation. The holy grail of the Logician is to find the God Particle, the God Molecule. Because the Logician believes that to see Perfection is to attain Perfection. The Logician believes that mathematics is the language of perfection and beauty. * The Artisans: '''The Artisans believe that perfection can be attained by creating works of beauty. An schismed offshoot of the Logicians (they schismed over artistic value), the Artisans seek to attain perfection through the creation of works of artifice and art. The Artisans are sculptors, painters, potters, and weavers. * '''The Gnostics: The Gnostics have alternative beliefs about perfection, believing that perfection is in the soul and not the body. To them, perfection is unattainable, but perfection will be had after death. * The Simplicists: The Simplicists believe perfection is a journey, rather than the goal. They strive to live their lives in harmony with nature and Nature's Law. Seeking a simple life without affluence will happiness be obtained. The World Breaking '' exploding. This image was found on a Russian Site. The artist is unknown. ]] When the demons came to conquer the world of Arvandor, the Eladrin proceeded to break the world with magics never seen before. Opening the Dragon Gate to a suitable world, several tribes of elves had to flee. It took two months to get everyone off world that wanted to be off world. Then the Eladrin proceeded with the breaking. In order to keep their precious planet out of the hands of the demons that came to conquer it, the Eladrin had no choice but to make the planet magically explode. After the Elves escaped, the elves divided themselves according to their tribe. The Annaquendir was the first to leave. They took their people to the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, and started their civilization there. With them, they took many believers in the Way, who believed that they themselves lost their way to perfection. However, they preserved the teachings of the Ñolmendur and still trained the elves amongst them in their psionic potential. With only the Ascensionists, the Gnostics, the Artisans, and the Simplicists still surviving, the Annaquendir rebuilt their society in the city of Olivae. They had to get rid of their caste system as a matter of course, and rebuilt their society. When the Fair Elves came to them years later, they were absorbed into their society and then they became a new people, the Olivaen Elves. Category:Arvandor Category:Elvish History Category:Elvish Evolution